The
Beavers have the personnel to become
(one of) the Pac Ten's biggest sleepers.
This team was not as bad as their
5-6 record indicated. A 10-win season
is actually quite possible in this
13-game schedule. The offense is set
to flourish with every lineman returning,
a superstar option at RB, and a speedy
group of receivers. The whole key
offensively rests with QB Matt Moore
and his ability to cut back on errors
and make better reads after he now
has a season of starting under his
belt. The defensive side has more
concerns, which include gaping holes
on the front seven due to graduation.
Stars are hard to locate outside of
the two safeties. Coach Mike Riley
took some heat for the team’s
sub-.500 record and needs a rebound
season to relieve some of the outside
pressure(s). With some luck, the Beavers
could be right in the thick of the
Pac Ten race by late October.

UCLA transfer
Matt Moore won the starting QB job last
August. At times Moore looks like a worthy
signal caller, and at others, his passes
leave much to be desired. A few of those
passes (19 INTs) defined the Beavers destiny
last season. Many of those picks were due
in part to forcing the ball - throwing it
late and just plain making bad decisions.
An emphasis on making Matt a better QB may
have paid off this spring as he begins to
blossom into one of the Pac Ten's best QBs
on a short list of worthy candidates.

In terms of having that
special star, RB Yvenson Bernard has the
ability to be the best offensive player
in the conference. In addition to carrying
the pigskin (120 yards per game), he can
also catch. The problem is, he may never
leave the field, no matter the down and
distance. Do not be surprised if he winds
up lining up at the flanker position on
occasion.

Biletnikoff Award winner
(best receiver) Mike Hass has moved on.
But overall, the WRs will have more speed
and are considered to be an area of strength.
The big upgrade comes at the TE position
with the return of Joe Newton from a medical
redshirt. His loss a year ago was a huge
blow to the passing game. Anthony Wheat-Brown
is the only returning starter in the Beaver’s
three-receiver sets after battling through
injuries last fall. The surprise may be
at split end as Sammy Strought, the team's
punt returner, has turned some heads this
spring.

The
Beavers return the entire offensive line,
a rare situation for any coach, and that
represents the strongest line they’ve
had since the 2000 Fiesta Bowl unit. The
OL is the foundation of this team. Both
tackles have started 23 straight games (Josh
Linehan and Adam Koets) while the middle
has three All-Conference players. Depth
seems plentiful. If there is a negative
to point out, pass protection must improve,
but that looks doable.

RB
Yvenson Bernard

OREGON
STATE 2006 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters/Key
Players

OFFENSE

QB

Matt
Moore-Sr (6-4, 193)

Sean
Canfield-Fr (6-4, 222)
Ryan Gunderson-Jr (6-5, 229)

TB

Yvenson
Bernard-Jr (5-9, 204)

Clinton
Polk-Jr (6-2, 214)
Patrick Fuller-So (5-11, 204)

WR

Sammie
Stroughter-Jr (6-0, 183)

Marcel
Love-Sr (6-0, 189)

WR

Anthony
Wheat-Brown-Jr (6-1, 218)

Brandon
Powers-Jr (6-2, 215)

WR

Ruben
Jackson-Sr (5-10, 197)

Anthony
Crosby-Fr (6-0, 194)

TE

Joe
Newton-Sr (6-7, 256)

Jason
Vandiver-Sr (6-4, 262)

OT

Adam
Koets-Sr (6-6, 294)

Tavita
Thompson-So (6-6, 319)

OG

Jeremy
Perry-So (6-2, 313)

Andy
Levitre-So (6-3, 324)

C

Kyle
DeVan-Jr (6-2, 294)

Adam
Speer-So (6-3, 276)

OG

Roy
Schuening-Jr (6-4, 318)

Andy
Levitre-So (6-3, 324)

OT

Josh
Linehan-Sr (6-5, 305)

Tavita
Thompson-So (6-6, 319)

K

Alexis
Serna-Jr (5-8, 162)

..

2006
DEFENSE

The
team accumulated a mere 22 sacks last year,
which averages out to two a game. These
numbers were bad enough to rank the Beavers
last in the conference. Ostensibly, the
health and progression of the front four
is the key to this success. Early indications
here are positive. DE Jeff Van Orsow was
dominant in the spring game, and Joe Lemma’s
return gives the line a sturdy set of bookends.
While not necessarily listed now as a current
starter due to off-the-field issues and
a shoulder problem, DT Ben Siegert does
have 25 career starts and is capable of
earning Pac Ten post-season honors.

Although the pass rush was
off pace, the run defense was the stingiest
in conference (though allowing 108 yards
per game only ranked them 17th in I-A).
A large part of these results was based
on a pair of All-Pac Ten LBs that are no
longer available. New faces have been waiting
for their opportunity, such as JUCO newcomer
Joey LaRocque, and this leaves coaches with
some guarded optimism.

The
entire secondary is back after getting burned
like toast - in the first half of last season,
OSU gave up way too many big plays. Now
considered a defensive strength, the pass
rush and coverage have to go hand-in-hand.
Three-year starter Sabby Piscitelli at strong
safety ranks amongst the top 10 in this
program’s history with 10 career INTs.
Free safety Al Afalava has a bright future
with this group as well and having a real
physical presence. The CBs are not quite
as secure as the safety spots, and neither
of the possible starters has logged any
picks yet.

LB
Derrick Doggett

OREGON
STATE 2006 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters/Key
Players

DEFENSE

DE

Joe
Lemma-Sr (6-3, 255)

Joe
Rudulph-Jr (6-5, 255)

DT

Ben
Siegert-Sr (6-4, 288)

Pernell
Booth-So (6-1, 302)

DT

Curtis
Coker-Jr (6-1, 309)

William
'Akau'ola Vea-Jr (6-2, 282)

DE

Jeff
Van Orsow-Jr (6-4, 266)

Dorian
Smith-Jr (6-3, 258)

SLB

Derrick
Doggett-Jr (6-3, 206)

Dennis
Christopher-So (6-1, 205)

MLB

Alan
Darlin-Jr (6-1, 251)

Bryant
Cornell-So (6-1, 240)

WLB

Joey
LaRocque-Jr (6-4, 230)

Isaiah
Cook-So (6-2, 215)

CB

Keenan
Lewis-So (6-1, 194)

Gerard
Lawson-Jr (5-11, 190)

CB

Brandon
Hughes-So (5-11, 174)

Coye
Francies-Jr (6-1, 177)

SS

Sabby
Piscitelli-Sr (6-3, 225)

Daniel
Drayton-Jr (5-10, 204)

FS

Al
Afalava-So (5-11, 198)

Bryan
Payton-So (6-2, 211)

P

Kyle
Loomis-Fr (6-3, 185)

Jon
Strowbridge-Jr (6-2, 256)

2006
SPECIAL TEAMS

Former
walk-on kicker Alexis Serna won the Lou Groza
Award (best kicker) in just his sophomore season
of a year ago. He is on the fast pace to become
one of college football's most accomplished kickers.
Thus far in his two-year career he has managed
to go 40-of-48 between the uprights (83.3%), the
most accurate in Division I-A history. Call him
Mr. Automatic inside of 30 yard (18-of-18 career).
Freshman Kyle Loomis enters the fall as the successor
to incumbent All-Pac Ten punter Sam Paulescu.
The inconsistency of Jon Strowbridge is another
possibility, though his 77-yard boot in the spring
game has many in Corvallis talking.